I Need Pasta Tonight

It was a let’s cook what’s in the fridge kind of Sunday night. Had a great fun filled sports week-end and spent the day down at Stanford today playing tennis and watching tennis and having an all around great day!

At the end of the day I was tired but had food and perishables that we needed to use. And I am SO glad we did! Try this pasta and you will thank me! This would be very very adaptable to substitutions so please use whatever you have on hand.

Ingredients:

Canola Oil

Butter

Salt & Pepper

1 onion diced large-I used a sweet onion

2 thick cut slices of Pancetta or bacon or ham-diced thick

A handful of mushrooms-we used baby bellas-but I would use any mushrooms I had on hand

1 large handful frozen peas

5 or 6 Brussels sprouts-Leaves only-torn into large pieces

1 cup or so dry white wine

1/2 + a Tbs half n half or heavy cream

Grated parmesan cheese

Bucatini or other pasta of your choice

Heat about 2TBS canola oil in a large sauté pan. Add your diced onion, season generously with salt and turn heat down to low.

In the meantime, put a large pot of generously salted water on to boil.

Carmelize onions until they are soft and brown and sweet. Remove onions from pan and set aside. Try to leave as much oil as possible. Add pancetta and brown. Turn heat up to medium. Don’t stir too much. Remove from pan and again try to leave as much oil as possible. Add a knob of butter, about 1 Tbs. It’s ok if the butter browns. Add chopped mushrooms and do not stir. Heat is on medium. Stir once but let mushrooms release their juices and get golden brown. Remove from pan. Add brussels leaves and sauté until wilted. Add back all other ingredients.

If your water is boiling add your pasta and stir.

Turn heat in pan with vegetables up to medium and add wine. Stir until wine is reduced. Add cream and stir. Turn heat down and season generously with black pepper.

When pasta is ready save 1-3 TBS of pasta water and add to sauce. Drain pasta and add to sauce. Stir well and put in bowls. Add grated parmesan and serve with chilled white wine that you used in the sauce.